Article November 6, 1954 Issue

"I DIDN'T SAY THAT"

THOMAS B. HUDSON

A Student of Christian Science was beset by a physical difficulty which caused her a great deal of pain. She went to a Christian Science practitioner, and through consecrated prayer the pain was stilled. Upon awakening the next morning she felt the pain again, and before she realized it she had voiced an exclamation of dismay. Then at once the thought came to her clearly and powerfully, "I didn't say that," and immediately the pain disappeared.

What had happened? In an instant a great flood of truth had entered her consciousness. She had realized that since man is the expression, manifestation, or image and likeness of God, she could not express evil. The evil was but an imaginary, negative phase of an illusory mental condition, which is classified in Christian Science as mortal mind. What had happened may be further explained in the words of Mary Baker Eddy in her textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 210): "What is termed matter, being unintelligent, cannot say, 'I suffer, I die, I am sick, or I am well.' It is the so-called mortal mind which voices this and appears to itself to make good its claim. To mortal sense, sin and suffering are real, but immortal sense includes no evil nor pestilence."

It is interesting to note that mortal mind "appears to itself" to have existence in fact. How comforting to realize that this appearance of reality is not man, nor any part of his experience! In fact, it is really nothing at all. We, as the sons of God, have no connection with it.

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